Lone working

[Frane Selak]

For those that are self employed in the building trade, how many prefer working alone to working with a partner or employee etc. For me I hate lone working, not sure why because when I'm working on my own house I prefer to be alone, any help I consider a hinderance even if its a two man job, I'll do all sorts of (dangerous) things to get the job done at home without asking for help. But when working at home I can take a week to do a 1 day job if I want, there isn't any pressure.

When I'm on an official job there is always the pressure of "the job has to be done" even though there is never an official end day. I couldn't walk away and say I'll finish that later in the year. I do have a helper at the minute and he is really good but it looks like he may be moving on and that concerns me, it fills me with dread that I may have to go to jobs by myself and overcome every problem myself. Take the other week, we turned up at a job and the place absolutely stunk (house fire) but the smell was the trampy tenants not the fire smell, If I went on my own I would have just shut the front door and gone back home which obviously isn't a good business decision but because there was two of us we mucked through. Or it could be I turn up and wardrobes or furniture full of stuff need shifting, there is no way I would do that by myself, not at my age (55)

I know we could get another lad but, and I hate to be cruel nearly everyone in this game at the minute is thick as pig st. no-one wants to work and they don't have two brain cells to rub together. I know it sounds horrible but its the truth, the amount of lost days I'd have waiting for someone to turn up in the morning that never arrives due to the pub the night before would send me to an early grave.

On the other hand I could jack it all in, sell my house (that I've spent years of hard work getting ti just how I want it) buy a nice little bungalow I saw on Rightmove that needs loads of work and have maybe £250k in the bank, but I don't have any private pensions of note. (I thought I would be dead before pension age).

Thoughts.

[gazza285]

Much rather be on my own, which is handy, because I do work on my own.

Hell is other people.

[Dog Biscuit]

gazza285 said:

Much rather be on my own, which is handy, because I do work on my own.

Hell is other people.

Indeed.

Love it, earbuds in, podcast/radio 4 and I'm good

[Frane Selak]

Dog Biscuit said:

gazza285 said:

Much rather be on my own, which is handy, because I do work on my own.

Hell is other people.

Indeed.

Love it, earbuds in, podcast/radio 4 and I'm good

I suppose its fine if you do the same thing day in or day out like a painter or something but what if you never know what to expect until you open the front door. For me it could be a full house totally back to brick and all ceiling down which wouldn't be too bad but on the other hand it could be just one room that is damaged but the whole house needs a refurb - we just do general building work and it could literally be anything. The other day it involved getting under a floor down a very tight space that I would have never fitted down, I would have thought most jobs required two people, even if its only someone to talk to for the day.

[Tighnamara]

Frane Selak said:

For those that are self employed in the building trade, how many prefer working alone to working with a partner or employee etc. For me I hate lone working, not sure why because when I'm working on my own house I prefer to be alone, any help I consider a hinderance even if its a two man job, I'll do all sorts of (dangerous) things to get the job done at home without asking for help. But when working at home I can take a week to do a 1 day job if I want, there isn't any pressure.

When I'm on an official job there is always the pressure of "the job has to be done" even though there is never an official end day. I couldn't walk away and say I'll finish that later in the year. I do have a helper at the minute and he is really good but it looks like he may be moving on and that concerns me, it fills me with dread that I may have to go to jobs by myself and overcome every problem myself. Take the other week, we turned up at a job and the place absolutely stunk (house fire) but the smell was the trampy tenants not the fire smell, If I went on my own I would have just shut the front door and gone back home which obviously isn't a good business decision but because there was two of us we mucked through. Or it could be I turn up and wardrobes or furniture full of stuff need shifting, there is no way I would do that by myself, not at my age (55)

I know we could get another lad but, and I hate to be cruel nearly everyone in this game at the minute is thick as pig st. no-one wants to work and they don't have two brain cells to rub together. I know it sounds horrible but its the truth, the amount of lost days I'd have waiting for someone to turn up in the morning that never arrives due to the pub the night before would send me to an early grave.

On the other hand I could jack it all in, sell my house (that I've spent years of hard work getting ti just how I want it) buy a nice little bungalow I saw on Rightmove that needs loads of work and have maybe £250k in the bank, but I don't have any private pensions of note. (I thought I would be dead before pension age).

Thoughts.

You did make me chuckle referencing “nearly everyone in the game at the minute is thick as pig st” then go onto say you have no pension provision…………

Mmmmmmmm

[fttm]

Tighnamara said:

You did make me chuckle referencing nearly everyone in the game at the minute is thick as pig st then go onto say you have no pension provision

Mmmmmmmm

wker, why even comment if that’s the best you can do ?

[Pit Pony]

fttm said:

Tighnamara said:

You did make me chuckle referencing nearly everyone in the game at the minute is thick as pig st then go onto say you have no pension provision

Mmmmmmmm

wker, why even comment if that s the best you can do ?

Don't get upset. There is a certain irony. And it was kind of funny although definatrly a joke at your expense.

The bit that scares me on your behalf is mention of going into tight spaces.
Have you ever had any real formal risk assessment training?
I used to (about 17 years ago) have to help our factory safety officer do confined space risk assessments.
First question. If something happens how is he getting out? You can't get into the space, so you aren't going to be able to get in beside him and do first aid whilst you wait for an smbulance.
I think you need an apprentice. And accept that young people need to be motivated differently than you, and may learn in a different way maybe you just need to be clearer?